


Birthday Surprise

by eliniel



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Birthday Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:41:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27245170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eliniel/pseuds/eliniel
Summary: Eli, Momo, Crystal, Ahro, and Zummi put together a surprise for Hinata on her birthday.
Relationships: Aymeric de Borel & Warrior of Light, Aymeric de Borel/Original Female Character(s), Aymeric de Borel/Warrior of Light
Kudos: 7





	Birthday Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Birthday, Kanta!

The bell to the coffee shop jingled as the door opened. 

Eli walked through first, eyes bright as she took in her surroundings- the warm, welcome feeling she got as she entered, walls and windows decorated in oranges and browns and reds for autumn. 

_ Perfect _ , she thought, a smile spreading across her lips. Quiet. Out of the way.

She sighed contentedly as she walked through, making room for her friends to follow in her wake. She slumped into a cushioned armchair near the back, the strap of her shopping bag sliding down her arm as she lounged. 

Next her, Momo dropped into a similar seat, leaving a small, but comfortable-looking loveseat for Hinata to claim. 

The latter took a slow look around as she set her bags on the floor by her feet. 

“Why this place?” she asked. “It’s much different than our usual.”

Eli and Momo exchanged a sly glance before the miqo’te shrugged one shoulder. 

“A change of scenery, I guess,” she responded as a waitress stepped up to them. Momo quickly looked up, an excited smile on her mouth.

“Crystal!” the lalafell exclaimed, hoping it didn’t sound entirely rehearsed. “I didn’t know you worked here!”

“Ah,” Eli started as their friend leaned down to give the miqo’te a one-sided hug. “So  _ this _ is the cafe you picked up a part-time at. What a  _ coincidence _ .”

Well, at least it wasn’t  _ entirely  _ a lie- they never had actually set foot inside of the shop before, hadn’t even known it existed until Crystal suggested it. 

With a hum, the au ra stood straight again and pulled a small notepad out of the pocket of her half-apron before turning to Hinata. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it today,” she said. “I wanted to, but…” She shrugged one shoulder. “Kind of hard to get a day off when I’ve only just started.” Quickly, the hyur shook her head. 

“No, please don’t be sorry,” she insisted. “Really, I understand. We can always do something else when you’re off work!” With a nod and a soft smile, Crystal flipped open her notebook.

“Well, can I bring you guys anything?”

Momo hummed, lifting a finger to her lips as she quickly scanned the small menu on the coffee table between them.

“Just a Chai latte for me,” she answered as her friend began jotting the order down on a piece of paper. "And a pumpkin scone." The au ra turned towards Eli.

“Pumpkin Spice Latte?” She teased, one side of her mouth tugging upward. The miqo’te giggled.

“You know me so well,” she replied with a shake of her head.

“It would be in poor form if I didn’t know my best friend’s coffee order,” Crystal said. “Anything else?” 

“How about a…” Eli flipped over the menu, eyeing the savory section. “What quiche flavors do you have?”

“Bacon and cheddar, and spinach, feta, and roasted tomatoes.”

“Oh,” Eli breathed. “The feta one sounds amazing.” The au ra nodded her head, spinning slowly to the last of their group as she wrote. 

“Hinata?”

“Hot chocolate,” the hyur answered without missing a beat. “And a slice of cheesecake.”

“New York style?”

“Mm,” she confirmed with a nod. “Always.” 

“Fruit?”

“Plain, please.” 

“Awesome,” Crystal said with a bright, inclining her head towards her friends. “I’ll get your order in now.” She spun on her heel and began heading back towards the counter at the front.

“Thanks!” Eli called to her, then slumped back in her seat. She blew out a sigh, lifting one hand to pluck the hat from her head before setting it down on top of one of her shopping bags, pausing for a moment to check the watch on her wrist. 

“I hope you’ve had a good day,” Momo said, turning her attention to Hinata. “I know shopping isn’t your  _ favorite _ , but I hope spending time with us was worth it.”

“You know I wouldn’t complain,” the hyur chuckled. “I never get to see you guys anymore.” Eli huffed a laugh.

“Right?” Her head dropped onto the cushioned back of her armchair as she heaved a sigh. “Being an adult is  _ so _ tedious. I miss college...”

“Oh, look!” the lalafell exclaimed, pointing towards the muted television in a corner of the cafe. “They’re talking about Aymeric!”

Immediately, Hinata straightened in her seat, her gaze shooting towards the news report as a video of the elezen stepping out of a shining black car, followed closely by Haurchefant Greystone, his assistant and another one of their closest friends. The captions caught the gist of what was being said.

The youngest senator to be voted into office. Where he studied. How  _ extremely _ eligible he was. 

Eli rolled her eyes as a smile crept onto her face. 

_ Not for long _ , she hoped. 

It was true- Aymeric Borel had done  _ very  _ well for himself. As the illegitimate son of a well-bred family, he had been  _ discreetly _ offered only the very best education and jobs that would ensure he knew the  _ right _ people. 

But he had turned it all down, instead opting to get a public education, and built himself from the ground up on his own merits. 

And he had exceeded  _ everyone’s _ expectations. 

Now, he was doing right by the people and they loved him for it.

A few minutes later, Crystal came back over, holding a large tray in one hand. She set it down on the edge of the coffee table and began doling out the treats the group had ordered when Hinata’s brow furrowed and she leaned forward, eyeing the small chocolate cake that sat in its center. 

“We didn’t order that,” she pointed out. The aura chuckled as she lifted the tray once more, then set the cake in the middle of the table. 

“My treat,” she said. The hyur opened her mouth to argue but Crystal held up a finger in her face. “Ah! No arguing, you deserve it.” 

And when Hinata closed her mouth, a slight flush spreading across her cheeks, her friend lowered her hand with a nod and stood straight, tucking the tray under her arm. 

“Happy Birthday. Enjoy it.”

“Thank you,” Hinata sighed as the au ra pulled a series of utensils out of her apron pocket and set them on the table. The hyur reached for a knife to begin cutting the cake into slices. “Will you at least have a piece?” 

“Well,” Crystal started with a laugh and slid down onto the cushion next to her friend. “I won’t say no to  _ that _ .” She twisted slightly, back toward the cash register, where a red-headed au ra stood, her ponytail swinging as she spun around to face the back counter, pouring some coffee into a to-go cup. “Fumino!” 

The girl tilted her head in Crystal’s direction to indicate she had heard, though her attention was focused on her task. 

“I’m going on break! Will you be alright by yourself?”

“Of course,” she said with a soft smile. “Enjoy.”

When Crystal turned back towards her friends, she pulled her hair over one shoulder and accepted the plate Hinata handed her.

“Oh, Gods,” Eli moaned with a full mouth. “I think this should be our  _ new _ place for good. This cake is amazing.” Momo chuckled from her armchair as she pulled the fork from her mouth.

“Agreed,” she conceded. “This is-”

The bell above the door jingled again and the lalafell’s words fell short, her gaze instead focusing on who was entering the cafe. Immediately, she brightened, laying her utensil on the side of her plate and waving to get his attention.

“Ah,” Eli started, lowering her plate back to the table, her eyes following Momo’s. “The last addition to our little group.”

“Another?” Hinata asked, twisting to turn towards the door. “Who-”

Aymeric Borel himself walked through the entrance. He was wearing a plain hoodie and form-fitting jeans.A baseball cap was covering his trademarked hair and pulled down over his eyes, surely so that he would not be recognized out in public, but Eli would know him anywhere. Haurchefant stepped in a moment later, dressed in similar clothing, face buried in his smartphone as he nudged the door closed with his foot.

The hyur’s eyes widened, mouth falling open. Eli shot Crystal a one-sided smile.

The senator grinned when he saw Momo motioning him over. With a wave towards her, he placed his other hand over his friend’s screen, slowly lowering it as he leaned in towards him.

“We’re here to have a few hours off,” he insisted. “Put that away for now.”

Haurchefant heaved a deep, but clicked the screen off.

“Fine, fine,” he managed as he stuffed the phone into the pouch of his hoodie. “You know, it’s quite difficult to be your friend  _ and _ your assistant.”

“Yes, well,” Aymeric replied. “For today, I’d prefer it if you were  _ just _ my friend.” He tilted his head toward the elezen in expectation. When Haurchefant nodded his agreement, the senator motioned towards the group. “The girls are waiting for us.”

“Aymeric!” Eli exclaimed as she stood from her seat, maneuvering around the short table to give him a quick hug before moving on to their other friend. “Haurchefant.” When she pulled away, the elezen laid an arm around across her shoulders, tugging her back to his side. “I’m glad you both were able to make it today.”

“It’s been far, far too long,” Aymeric admitted. “I wouldn’t miss the group getting back together for-” His gaze slid to each of their friends, still seated, until his eyes landed on-

“Hinata,” he breathed, eyes widening in shock. “I didn’t-” He quickly lifted his arm, looking at the watch around his wrist. “Today’s your-”

He looked towards Momo, a hint of panic in his eyes. 

“Oh, look at the time,” Crystal said to no one in particular as she stood from her seat next to the hyur, very obviously trying to contain a giggle. “I’d better-” She cleared her throat. “I’d better get back to work.”

A moment later, she was gone, disappearing behind the counter once more. 

“Is-is that Ahro?” Momo asked quickly, peering across the shop, trying to sound as if none of this had been already planned. Eli looked over her shoulder to see the Viera in question, huddled into a corner, a tablet in her lap as she focused intensely on the screen. Next to her, leaning in to see the screen was an equally familiar miqo’te. 

“Zummi too,” Eli concluded, wrapping one arm around Haurchefant’s waist and forcing him to turn. He opened his mouth to argue. “We should...go and say hello.”

“We definitely should,” the lalafell agreed, hopping to the floor.

“Wha-wait!” Hinata insisted, moving to stand. “I want to-”

Momo patted her knee, then motioned for Aymeric to sit down on the loveseat. 

“We’ll pass along your greetings. Why don’t you two...catch up?”

The hyur went rigid in her seat, her face beginning to flush again, eyes going between the lalafell and the miqo’te suspiciously.

“Y-you-What are you-” 

“Go on,” Eli said with a mischievous smile, using her free hand to push the senator towards their friend. “Sit. We’ll be back shortly.”

The elezen took his seat, looking entirely uncomfortable. With a breath of a laugh, Momo joined Eli on Haurchefant’s other side as they turned to face their other friends.

“So, how’s dad?” Eli inquired, asking after the elezen’s father, Edmont Fortemps, who had taken them all in during their college years.

“W-well,” he hesitated, peering over his shoulder to his best friend, an unasked question on his face. Aymeric gave him an uncertain smile and nodded. He pressed his lips into a thin line, but turned back and allowed himself to be led to the other side of the cafe. 

“He’s doing well,” Haurchefant finally continued. “He wishes you lot would visit more, though…”

“So…,” Aymeric started, sitting on the edge of his cushion, watching as his friends walked away. Both Ahro and Zummi looked up from the tablet when they approached, wide smiles appearing on their faces. The rest piled into the corner booth around the pair and laughed at some joke he was unable to glean from his position.

“I, um…” Hinata began, clasping her hands in her lap, looking down at them. “Didn’t know you were coming today.” The elezen turned back to face her, raising a hand to the back of his neck.

“Truth be told,” he chuckled. “They didn’t say you’d be here, either. They just said they had some free time and...” He trailed off, shaking his head as he lowered his hand, looking over his shoulder at them once more. “Suspicious, isn’t it?”

She glanced sidelong at her friends, pursing her lips together tightly when she found them all watching their interaction. Quickly, the entire group looked away, Eli pointing to something on Ahro’s screen. 

“Well, in any case, I suppose a happy birthday is in order.” 

Hinata’s attention shot back to Aymeric as his hand slipped it into the pouch of his hoodie, producing a small box with a red ribbon tied around it. He smiled down at it before holding it out to her. 

“I, uh...brought this for the girls to give to you but, since you’re  _ here _ …I may as well just…”

Hinata stared at the box, crafted of a dark wood, black hinges on one side. Expensive, more than like. Her lips parted in surprise, fire spreading across her cheeks once more. 

“For...me? But, it’s...” His face fell for a moment when she did not take the gift from him.

“Did-did I mistake the day? I’m-”

Immediately, she looked up, eyes wide with panic.

“No, no,” she said quickly. “It’s today. I just...wasn’t expecting…”

He huffed a short laugh, the smile spreading across his lips once more. “Good. You had me worried for a moment. Here.”

Hinata hesitated for a moment as she examined his features, but finally unclasped her hands, slowly lifting one to accept the box. 

“I hope you like them,” he commented as she raised her other arm, fingers sliding along the smooth, lacquered wood before lifting the lid, revealing a pair of stud earrings- gold, in the shape of flowers with bright green jade inlaid to look like petals. “I...remembered your preference for...green-”

“They’re-,” she breathed and his mouth snapped shut, watching her reaction carefully. Finally, she averted her eyes to the side as she gently closed the box, moving to hand it back to him. “Aymeric, they’re beautiful but it’s too much. I can’t-”

“Hinata,” he said, an air of authority in his tone that made her blink and look back up, eyes wide. He paused for a moment, breathing a laugh as he took in the scarlet shade of her cheeks before he covered her hands with his and pushed the box back to her. “Take them.”

She hesitated for a moment, sucking her bottom lip in between her teeth as she looked down at their joined hands.

“I…”

“Please. For me.”

Finally, she sighed, releasing her lip as she closed her eyes and nodded, arms going slack and she lowered their hands into her lap again. 

“Thank you,” she murmured. 

“You’re welcome.”

When she opened her eyes, however, she realized that he had not removed his hands from hers. Instead, his fingers tightened around them.

“And since… we’re both here…,” he started, once more. When he did not continue, she lifted her head to find him peering over to their group of friends. Both Momo and Eli were motioning for him to go on.

“What’s...going on?”

“Some time ago, I confessed a certain... _ something _ ...to Eli and Momo,” he explained, then sighed, turning back to face the hyur. “And I believe we’ve been set up.”

“Why...would they do that?”

“Well...Hinata,” he began once more before pausing to clear his throat, looking down as he moved to twine his fingers between hers. “For a while now...well, a  _ long time _ , really... I, uh…”

He inhaled deeply, then blew the breath out.

“Well, I’ve enjoyed your company. Quite a lot, in fact.”

The girl furrowed her brow, shaking her head in confusion.

“I’ve enjoyed yours as well, Aymeric, but what does that-”

“No,” Aymeric interjected. “I’ve... _ really _ enjoyed your company.” She pulled back slightly, expression alight with surprise. 

“But, you…”

“I suppose the girls thought it about time I told you.” Understanding lit in her mind, her brows nearly lifting entirely off her face.

“So you...like me?”

He huffed a laugh, continuing to stare down at their hands, a certain fondness crossing his features that always made Hinata want to melt right into him.

“That  _ is _ one way to put it, I suppose,” he chuckled. Hinata’s mouth opened, then closed once more, her gaze following his. They were quiet for long moments

“Funny,” she said, simply.

“What is?”

She sighed through her nose, gently closing her hand around his. “I told them the same thing. But I…”

“Didn’t think I felt the same way.”

With a nod, she looked up again. 

“But...you do?”

“I do,” he confirmed, meeting her eyes as they became glassy, filling with tears. “I have...felt this way for quite some time.”

She exhaled shakily, a small smile spreading across her lips.

“I... _ Thank the Gods _ .”

Before he could help himself, the senator released Hinata’s hands before placing his on either side of her face. Her face flushed as he quickly pressed his mouth to hers, a quiet whimper of surprise escaping her as she tensed, sitting straight, the movement knocking her hat askew. 

With another breath of a laugh through his nose, he removed the hat entirely as he slowly moved his lips against hers, setting it down on the arm of the loveseat behind her, smiling as she began to relax into him. 

When they pulled away from each other, Aymeric leaned forward, tucking a lock of wayward hair behind her ear as he pressed his forehead against hers.

On the other side of the cafe, Eli dropped her head onto the cushioned back of the booth with a relieved sigh.

“ _ Finally _ ,” she said. Momo giggled from her seat on Zummi’s other side. Haurchefant looked between them with a raised brow.

“You...did this on purpose.”

“Of course we did,” the miqo’te scoffed, raising her head again. “We planned everything today to get them together.”

“Surely it wasn’t  _ that _ bad.”

“Are you kidding?” Crystal laughed as she approached the group once more, laying a to-go cup in front of the elezen and leaned her elbow on his shoulder. 

“It’s  _ painful _ to watch them skirt around each other for  _ years _ ,” Ahro quipped as she looked up from her tablet. With a hum, the lalafell nodded.

“The both of them admitted their feelings to  _ us _ ,” she explained. “But never to each other. Better to get it out in the open, don’t you think?”

Haurchefant peered back over to his best friend, watching as the pair sat close to each other, hands joined in Hinata’s lap and foreheads pressed together as they exchanged quiet words with soft smiles. After a moment, he breathed a chuckle and turned back to the others. 

“Well,” the elezen said in concession, lifting the cup to his lips with a grin. “As long as they’re happy. Just be prepared for her  _ wrath _ later.”

Laughter erupted around the table.

“Oh, no worries, my friend,” Eli said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “We are.”


End file.
